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Siberia & Mongolia: Spirits & Nomads

2016

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Siberia & Mongolia: Spirits & Nomads

The Gobi Desert, A Country Naadam Celebration, Lake Baikal

One Departure in 2016 – Cultural Series – 16 Days

June 14-29

Beautiful and exotic, Siberia and Mongolia are worlds away from the traditional beaten path. Start in Mongolia

with the country’s capital, UlaanBaatar, a rich repository of Buddhist art and culture. Roam the legendary Gobi

Desert, the natural habitat of gazelles, snow leopards, Bactrian camels and eagles, and experience traditional ger

living in a nomadic herder’s home in the heart of Mongolia. In the desert, witness a celebration of Mongolia’s

independence and a demonstration of its strong cultural heritage at a local Naadam celebration. Then cross into

the Russian taiga’s unbroken forest to visit Siberia’s deep UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, teeming with unusual wild-

life. Start at the western shore of Lake Baikal and explore charming Listvyanka Village and Irkutsk, home to

early political exiles. Journey along a scenic leg of the world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway on a day’s trip to

Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic and center of Buddhism in Russia. Stay at local homes in the timber

town of Ust Barguzin, and explore the beautiful islands and hidden coves of Chivirkuy Bay. Head to Olkhon Is-

land by boat, searching for the elusive fresh-water seals; and from there back to Irkutsk to celebrate the journey.

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Daily ItineraryDay 1, Tuesday, June 14 Arrive UlaanBaatarDay 2, Wednesday, June 15 UlaanBaatar Day 3, Thursday, June 16 Ulaan Baatar • Gorkhi-Terelj Park • fly to Gobi DesertDay 4, Friday, June 17 Gobi Desert • Yolyn Am Canyon • Moltsog ElsDay 5, Saturday, June 18 Gobi Desert • Country Naadam • Flaming CliffsDay 6, Sunday, June 19 Gobi Desert • fly to UlaanBaatarDay 7, Monday, June 20 UlaanBaatar • day trip to Hustai Park • fly to IrkutskDay 8, Tuesday, June 21 IrkutskDay 9, Wednesday, June 22 Irkutsk • Circumbaikal Railway • ListvyankaDay 10, Thursday, June 23 Listvyanka Day 11, Friday, June 24 Listvyanka • Irkutsk • aboard the Trans-Siberian • Ulan UdeDay 12, Saturday, June 25 Ulan UdeDay 13, Sunday, June 26 Ulan Ude • Ust BarguzinDay 14, Monday, June 27 Ust Barguzin • Chivirkuy Bay & the Ushkaniye Islands • boat to Olk- hon Island Day 15, Tuesday, June 28 Olkhon Island • IrkutskDay 16, Wednesday June 29 Depart Irkutsk



MIR Signature Experiences• Celebrate your journey with a festive welcome dinner, Mongolian-style.• Thrill to the eerie and other-worldly sound of Mongolian throat-singing.• Spend three nights at the award-winning Three Camel Lodge in the traditional nomadic-style ger, with the vast expanse of the Gobi at your doorstep.• Witness a local country Naadam celebration, a tribute to strength, dexterity and marksmanship.• Breathe in the astounding beauty of UNESCO-listed Baikal, a lake so vast that locals commonly refer to it as “the sea.”• Visit a local village training center for Siberian Huskies: meet the trainers and learn more about these wonderful animals.• Climb to the top of the bell-tower of an Irkutsk church and enjoy a concert of chimes by a master bell ringer. • Ride two segments of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway: the Circumbaikal Railway, an original line that hugs the shore of Lake Baikal; and the route from Irkutsk to Ulan Ude, center of Buddhism in Russia.• Make a Siberian village visit to hear the powerful centuries-old songs of the Old Believers and learn about their unique traditions.• Spend a night in the home of a local Siberian family, and enjoy Russian hospitality at its finest. • Search for the elusive nerpa, the freshwater seal, on Lake Baikal.• Explore the beauty of Olkhon Island, the largest island in the world’s deepest and oldest lake, Baikal.

Tour Highlights UlaanBaatar Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum, Gandan Monastery, National Mongo- lian History Museum, cultural performance of traditional music and danceGorkhi-Terelj National Park Beautiful alpine steppe landscapesGobi Desert Country Naadam celebration, Flaming Cliffs, Togrogiin Shiree (Fighting Dinosaurs), Moltsog Els, Yol Am Canyon, deluxe en suite accommodations at the award-winning Three Camel Lodge - the most comfortable accommodations in the GobiIrkutsk Decembrist Museum with concert, traditional wooden houses, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and its bell-tower, concert of chimes by a master bell ringer.Lake Baikal Oldest and deepest lake on earth (UNESCO World Heritage Site)Listvyanka Village Baikal Limnological Museum, Museum of Wooden Architecture, Husky Hut, Chersky MountTrans-Siberian Railway Ride two sections of the legendary railway: Circumbaikal Route along Lake Baikal; and Irkutsk-Ulan Ude through the Russian taiga Ulan Ude World’s largest Lenin head statue, Trans-Baikal Semeiskie or Russian Old Believers (UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Hu manity), Ivolginsk Datsan (Buddhist monastery), Ethnographic Museum of Transbaikal PeoplesUst Barguzin Chivirkuy Bay, stay with local Siberian familiesUshkaniye Islands Home to nerpa, unique freshwater seals found only at Lake BaikalOlkhon Island Khuzhir Village, shaman cape




Daily Itinerary

Day One, Tuesday, June 14Arrive UlaanBaatar

Arrive in UlaanBaatar and check in to your hotel after your arrival transfer from the airport. Today is left completely free as an arrival day, with no activities planned. Touring will begin on Day 2 around 9:00 a.m.Meals: Independent/En route – Best Western Tuushin Hotel or similar

Day Two, Wednesday, June 15UlaanBaatar

After breakfast, set out to explore UlaanBaatar, the political, industrial and cultural heart of Mongolia. Located in a basin 5,000 feet above sea level, Ulaan-Baatar is surrounded by the beautiful Khan Khentii Mountains. To nomadic Mongolians, the concept of a settlement or city is a fairly new one. UlaanBaatar, meaning “Red Hero,” was established just over 350 years ago, quickly becoming an important trade and commercial center on the tea route between China and Russia.

Begin the day’s touring with a visit to the Gandan Monastery. Gandategchinlen Monastery on Dalkha Hill in UlaanBaatar was originally founded in 1838. Until then most of Mongolia’s monasteries had been small, mobile organizations that moved with the nomads. Meaning “Great Place of Com-plete Joy,” the monastery was badly damaged during the 1930 Stalinist repressions, but the main temple was allowed to remain as a showcase for foreigners. Today this temple houses a 20-ton gilded statue of “the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction,” created in

the 1990s to replace the one destroyed in 1937.

After lunch, continue touring Ulaan-Baatar, including the National Museum of Mongolian History. This fascinating museum provides a comprehensive look into the steppe nomad’s history and cul-ture ranging from the dawn of humanity through the incredible empire of Genghis Khan and on to the present day. The up-dated museum displays traditional im-plements of daily nomadic life, including Stone Age tools and enigmatic Bronze Age “deer stones,” authentic costumes and ornaments of Mongolia's minority tribes, sacred relics, and agricultural, fish-ing and hunting equipment, including the




type of bow that Genghis Khan’s warriors made such deadly use of.

Make a visit to the Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum. Mongolia’s last Bogd Khaan, or Living Bud-dha, lived for 20 years in this compound, built between 1893 and 1903. Unlike other old sites in Ulaan-Baatar, this one escaped destruction in the 1930s Stalinist purges. Six temples remain, as does a ceremo-nial gate built without the use of nails. On display are many of the gifts presented to the Bogd Khan.

This evening, get together for a festive welcome dinner to celebrate the start of the trip.Meals: B, L, D – Best Western Tuushin Hotel or similar

Day Three, Thursday, June 16 UlaanBaatar • Terelj • fly to Gobi Desert

After breakfast, leave UlaanBaatar for a half-day trip to nearby Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Named after an alpine plant related to wild rosemary, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park abuts the 4,600-square-mile Khan Khen-tii Strictly Protected Area, where very few humans live. At over 5,000 feet, Terelj is a sweeping alpine landscape of temperate grassland and small pines dot-ted with rustic gers and grazing livestock. Horses are available for hire, and huge rock formations crop up at intervals through the rocky soil. This is the high steppe of Mongolia, and here the traveler can get a feel for the huge distances and enormous sky that nomads have con-tended with for eons.

On the way back to UlaanBaatar see the giant 131-foot stainless-steel-clad equestrian statue of Genghis Khan,

an unforgettable sight. Sightseers can enter the interior of the horse on an elevator and admire the view from a platform perched on the horse's head.

Back in UlaanBaatar, transfer to the airport this evening for the flight to Dalanzadgad and the fabled Gobi Desert. Stretching for 3,000 miles along the border of Mongolia and China, the Gobi harbors sites of some of the most important paleontological discoveries of the 20th century. Explore the open landscapes dotted with hardy desert plants that serve as forage for wild Bactrian camels, Argali mountain sheep and goitered gazelle. This part of the Gobi is also home to golden eagles, saker falcons, jerboas (similar to kangaroo rats), and many endemic reptiles, and the surrounding mountains are home to some of the Northern Hemisphere’s rarest mammals, such as the dhole, snow leopard, and Gobi bear.

Upon arrival in Dalanzadgad, transfer to Three Camel Lodge ger camp. Sheltered under a volcanic outcrop where ancient people carved their petroglyphs, Three Camel Lodge ger camp offers an authentic Mongolian experience. Mongolia’s premier eco-lodge, the ger camp makes use of Mongolia’s most abun-dant resources – wind and sun. Local artisans followed the canons of Mongolian Buddhist architecture in constructing the main lodge, without a single nail. Travelers sleep in traditional felt gers, each with an un-obstructed view of the Gobi and the heights of the Gobi-Altai Mountains beyond. Meals are served in a




large ger, modeled after the ceremonial tents of the great khans. Western-style toilet and shower facili-ties are located in the main lodge as well.Meals: B, L, D – Three Camel Lodge ger camp

Day Four, Friday, June 17 Gobi Desert • Yolyn Am • Moltsog Els

Begin your exploration of the Gobi after breakfast at the lodge, starting with a trip to Yolyn Am Can-yon (Vulture's Mouth). The canyon cuts a narrow path into the rocky slopes of the Gurvansaikhan Mountains. Never feeling the warmth of the sun, the cool canyon some-times shelters snowbanks that remain frozen long into the summer. Hiking here, a trav-eler may spot Argali sheep balanced on a crag, or a golden eagle or saker falcon soar-ing overhead. Yaks are often pastured nearby during the summer months.

After visiting a small museum highlighting the local flora and fauna, continue to Moltsog Els. The image that many have of the Gobi is of rolling sand dunes, but the vast majority of the terrain is actually sandy soil covered in very sparse scrub growth. Occasional stands of stunted trees indicate where water may be found, but with few exceptions dunes are absent. One of those notable exceptions is Moltsog Els, where the constantly shifting sands are piled by the wind and reach surprising heights.

After a picnic lunch on the dunes, meet with local camel breeders and enjoy a chance to ride the animals yourself.

Return to the ger camp for dinner and overnight.Meals: B, L, D – Three Camel Lodge ger camp

Day Five, Saturday, June 18 Gobi Desert • Local Naadam • Flaming Cliffs

Today is the local Naadam celebration. The annual Naadam Festival is Mongolia’s favorite festival,




showcasing each region’s best in wrestling, horse racing and archery as well as uniquely Mongolian sports such as “ankle-bone shooting.” It originated many centuries ago, but in the 20th century this celebration of courage, strength, dexterity and marks-manship acquired new content and be-came more national in character. This country Naadam celebration is a ru-ral festival, with the holiday atmos-phere and the same sports competi-tions as put on at the main Naadam in the capital, but on a more intimate basis without the crowds and grand-stands.

In the afternoon, drive to Togrogiin Shiree, a white escarpment where the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” (a fossil of a protoceratops and a velociraptor locked in combat) were discovered in the 1970s.

Continue with a visit to the Flaming Cliffs. Named for their red-gold lumines-cence in the rays of the setting sun, the Flaming Cliffs are one of the most renowned paleontological sites in the world. Roy Chapman Andrews, leader of an American Museum of Natural History Museum expedition, found the world’s first nest of dinosaur eggs here in 1922. Andrews, who is widely believed to be the inspiration for the film character Indiana Jones, gave these cliffs their English nickname. The nomadic Mongolians call the area Bayanzag. The heat and low humidity of this beautiful part of the Gobi have protected and preserved the numerous fossils that have been found here.

There are usually several nomad camps nearby; take the opportunity to visit with a family. Step inside a ger and share some salted and buttered tea or chunks of aruul, the dried camel’s milk cheese that is a staple of travelers in the Gobi.

Return to the ger camp for dinner and, schedules permitting, a concert of traditional Mongolian songs and dances by local children. Meals: B, L, D – Three Camel Lodge ger camp

Day Six, Sunday, June 19 Gobi Desert • fly to UlaanBaatar

Return to Dalanzadgad after breakfast this morning to catch a flight to UlaanBaatar. The afternoon is free to do some last minute souvenir-shopping or

just to explore the city on your own. This evening, say farewell to Mongolia with dinner and a live cul-tural performance.Meals: B, L, D – Best Western Tuushin or similar




Day Seven, Monday, June 20 UlaanBaatar • day trip to Hustai • fly to Irkutsk

Schedules of the flight to Russia permitting, (currently expecting an evening flight) leave the capital for the countryside today, departing toward Hustai. The Hustai Nuruu National Park is the home of the Przewalski horse, the last remaining species of truly wild horse in the world. They were reintroduced

into the wild in 1994 by the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski Horse in the Netherlands, which flew 16 horses to Mongolia, their historic homeland, 25 years after they had become extinct in the wild. Though the horses are bet-ter known by the name of the Polish scientist who first classi-fied them, their Mongolian name is takhi (pronounced "ta-hee").

After your visit to Hustai, return to the capital and transfer to the airport for the flight to Irkutsk, Russia. On arrival, clear customs into Russia and transfer to the hotel for check in and overnight.Meals: B, L – Hotel Empire or similar

Day Eight, Tuesday, June 21 Irkutsk

Irkutsk began as a wooden fortress founded by Cossacks in 1661. Fortified and armed to a greater de-gree than other Siberian settlements, Irkutsk became a staging area for trade convoys and exploring ex-peditions, and by the early 18th century, settlers had already built 13 churches.

The Irkutsk area has been a place of exile since Genghis Khan offered it to captives as an alternative to death. Czarist and Bolshevik political exiles from the 18th through the 20th centuries ended up bringing culture and education to Irkutsk after their terms of slave labor ended. Under the Soviets, many thousands more were sentenced to gulags and ended their days in Irkutsk. Many of them worked to build the Trans-Siberian Railway, which passes through Irkutsk and has helped the city remain a commercial force.

Begin your tour of the city center today after break-fast. After an independent lunch, continue with a visit to the Decembrist House Museum and enjoy a private concert of classical music. The Decembrists were a group of young officers who had served abroad




during the War of 1812 and become advocates of democratic reform. In December 1825, they, along with some 3,000 followers, refused to swear allegiance to the new czar, Nicholas I. Their rebellion was quickly put down, and five of the leaders hanged. The rest were sentenced to forced labor in Siberia. Many of them, with their families, settled in Irkutsk after their terms were over, and brought with them education and cul-ture. The House Museum of the Decembrists is in the former home of Sergei Volkonsky and his wife, Maria.

Pay a visit to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and its bell-tower. Climb to the top of the bell-tower and enjoy a concert of chimes by a master bell ringer. The mas-ter personally collected all the bells and recon-structed the tower. During Communist times, worship was discouraged and bells were collected, many of them being melted down for their metal.

Bell ringing came to Russia in the 10th century when the Kievan Rus converted to Christianity. Although the Orthodox Christians of Byzantium hammered on narrow wooden boards called semantrons during certain points in the liturgy, the Orthodox Rus joyfully took up bell ringing like the European Latinate Christians. Russian bell makers were quick to give the bells a distinctive Russian character, however. The Russian Orthodox hierarchy developed sets of special instructions, called zvon, which were rung for dif-ferent occasions. Unlike British “change-ringing,” in which intricate patterns are rung by ringers who each have control of one bell, the peals, or zvon of Russian Orthodox bells send messages, and can often be rung by one person.

Continue with a visit to Znamensky Convent. Founded in 1689, the Znamensky Convent was the first in the Irkutsk area, and remained for many years one of the largest. The nuns aimed at self-sufficiency, maintaining gardens, herds, an apiary, brewery, mill, fields, poultry and greenhouses. In 1708, Peter the Great presented the convent with a silver-mounted edition of the Gospel, with his inscription, which re-mains here. In the convent’s cemetery are graves of some of the Decembrists who were exiled and lived out their lives in Irkutsk. The convent escaped destruction during the Soviet period because it was used as a hangar.

Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant, with overnight at the hotel.Meals: B, D – Hotel Empire or similar

Day Nine, Wednesday, June 22 Irkutsk • Circumbaikal Railway • Listvyanka

Ride the original line used by the Trans-Siberian Railway before the present-day route was completed, one of the most complicated rail systems in the world. The route hugs the rocky lake shore and passes through 33 tunnels along its length. Aboard the train, travelers can enjoy spectacular




views of Lake Baikal. Lunch and dinner will be served on the train.

Disembark the train at Port Baikal this evening and take a quick ferry to the village of Listvyanka on the western shore of Lake Baikal. Meals: B, L, D – Baikalskie Terema or similar

Day Ten, Thursday, June 23Listvyanka

Following breakfast, depart on a tour of Listvyanka. First, visit the Baikal Limnological Museum. (Limnology is the study of the life and other phenomena in fresh water, particularly lakes and ponds.) Learn about the origin of the lake, its characteristics as the oldest and deepest lake in the world, and its species, including some that are found nowhere else, like the golomyanka, a transparent fish, the omul, a tasty salmon-like fish, and the freshwater seal, the nerpa. An aquarium near the museum is home to a pair of these seals.

Continue your Listvyanka tour with a trip to a local market and the 19th-century St. Nicholas Church. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Cher-sky Mount, the highest hill in the area. On the way is a barisaa, or prayer tree, where people tie a ribbon or prayer flag to represent a wish or a prayer. The tradition apparently stems from an ancient shamanist belief that specially blessed trees are a contact point be-tween the spirit world and the physical world.

Next, make a brief stop at a local village training center for Siberian Huskies. Meet the trainers and learn more about these wonderful animals.

After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Museum of Wooden Architecture. This outdoor museum is a 166-acre collection of authentic Russian and native Buryat, Evenki and Tafalar houses and community buildings from the 17th to the early 20th century. The wooden structures were moved here from various Siberian locations and reassembled into little hamlets and nomadic camps that demonstrate how people actually lived. The gate to a 17th century fort, a working chapel built in 1679 and a potter’s workshop give you a feel for the people who spent their lives here.

Tonight’s dinner will be at the hotel or at a local village restaurant.Meals: B, L, D – Baikalskie Terema or similar




Day Eleven, Friday, June 24 Listvyanka • Irkutsk • aboard the Trans-Siberian • Ulan Ude

Return to Irkutsk by vehicle this morning and set off on a short section of the Trans-Siberian Rail-way to Ulan Ude.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the most enjoyable and romantic of all the world’s great train jour-neys. It is also one of the longest train routes in the world, stretching more than 5,500 miles from Vladivostok to Moscow. Travel eastward, along one of the most scenic stretches of the rail line past re-mote towns with charming painted houses, through the wild taiga with its seemingly endless stands of birch, pine, spruce and larch. Stops in local towns are very short, but may provide opportunities for photos and souvenirs. Rail travel is among the most popular forms of travel in Russia and you may get the chance to meet Russian travelers and those from around the world.

The journalist George Kennan, in his 1891 Sibe-ria and the Exile System, wrote: “You can take the whole of the United States...and set it down in the middle of Siberia without touching anywhere the boundaries of the latter’s territory; you can then take Alaska and all the countries of Europe, with the ex-ception of Russia, and fit them into the remaining margin like the pieces of a dissected map. After hav-ing thus accommodated all this you will still have more than 300,000 square miles of Siberian terri-tory to spare...an area half as large again as the Empire of Germany.”

This evening, arrive in Ulan Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic. Formerly called Udinsk, Ulan Ude was founded in the mid 17th century by Cossacks as a winter encampment on the Selenga River. The city later prospered as a major trading post along the tea route between China and Irkutsk. The indigenous people of the region, the Buryats,

continuously resisted frequent attempts to infiltrate their culture and traditions. Today, the unique cul-tural identity, language and religions of the Buryats make visiting Ulan Ude a fascinating experience.

This evening, get together for a dinner to welcome the group to Buryatia.Meals: B, D – Hotel Geser or similar

Day Twelve, Saturday, June 25 Ulan Ude

After breakfast at the hotel, begin with a tour of this Siberian city. Start with Ulan Ude’s small city cen-ter. Highlights are the covered market, where mer-chants sell everything from freshly-cut meat to freshly-baked bread and sweet rolls; the original




merchant center of the city, with its wooden Siberian houses; the trade rows and administrative center; the city’s first stone Orthodox church; and the biggest Lenin head statue in the world.

Stop in at the Ivolginsk Datsan, the center of Russian Buddhism and if timing is lucky, we may witness the monks praying and chanting. The temple was rebuilt in 1946, after Stalin’s severe restrictions on relig-ious practice were loosened. Services were allowed, but no teaching was permitted, and a Soviet-style “Central Buddhist Board” was installed.

Today the datsan is a place of teaching again, and young lamas from all over Rus-sia live and study here. The main temple, every square inch decorated with beauti-ful silks, precious stones, and painted woodwork, is crowded every morning with chanting monks, townspeople and pilgrims. Prayer wheels mark the perime-ter of the compound, and small log cabins house the lamas and their families.

The datsan’s library protects hundreds of silk-wrapped ancient scrolls and sacred thangkas, large silk banners painted with deities or aspects of the Buddha. In the greenhouse grows a sapling purported to be from the bhodi tree under which Buddha sat when he was enlightened.

Enjoy a bit of free time for lunch in the city on your own with suggestions from the guide.

Next, set off into the countryside for a visit to a village of Old Believers. Rebelling against Patriarch Nikon’s 1652 reforms of the Orthodox liturgy and ritual, the Old Believers fled or were exiled to Eastern Europe and then to Siberia. In their isolated Siberian villages, these groups were able to preserve their

16th and 17th century traditions, clothing, architecture, language and style of singing. In 2001, UNESCO ladded the culture and unique choral music of the Trans-Baikal Semeiskie – as they are called in Siberia – to the “Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”

In the evening, enjoy dinner with the Old Believers before returning to the hotel for overnight.Meals: B, D – Hotel Geser or similar

Day Thirteen, Sunday, June 26 Ulan Ude • Ust Barguzin

This morning depart for the tiny town of Ust Barguzin, a little lakeside village




that is the gateway to the Zabaikalsky National Park. The drive should be about 5-6 hours today. Zabai-kalsky National Park covers part of the east side of Lake Baikal and includes the Holy Nose Peninsula, Chivirkuy Bay, the Ushkaniye Islands and the southern Barguzin Mountains. Founded in 1986, the park protects the beaches and islands, the pine forests and their creatures and the alpine habitat of the higher mountains.

En route to Ust Barguzin, enjoy lunch at Gremyachinsk, a village on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal, or the “Sacred Sea” as it is called by the indigenous people who have lived along its shores, is the most ancient lake in the world. Formed in a rift in the earth’s surface over 25 million years ago, the-lake basin is almost a mile deep in places, and holds about twenty percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water. Baikal’s great age and isolation have produced one of the richest and most unusual ecosystems on earth. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Baikal is home to over 1,500 species of aquatic life, and its endemic zooplankton filter the water to near-transparency.

Arrive in Ust Barguzin later this afternoon and spend time exploring this small town. A fishing and port town with unpaved streets, it gives a fascinating glimpse into rural Siberian life. Enjoy a dinner and overnight with families, a unique opportunity to experience Siberian hospitality at its best.Meals: B, L, D – Homestays

Day Fourteen, Monday, June 27 Ust Barguzin • Chivirkuy Bay & the Ushkaniye Islands • Boat to Olkhon Island

After breakfast, set out by boat for the lovely Ushkaniye Islands to search for the elusive fresh water seal, the nerpa. This is the only place in the world where nerpa can be seen in their natural habitat. Continue to the shores of Chivirkuy Bay accompanied by a National Park ranger. Between the northern end of the Holy Nose Peninsula and the mainland, Chivirkuy is a fairly shallow bay where the water is calm and fish abound. It is one of the most beautiful bays on the lake, with the ridges of the Holy Nose rising up from the forested shore.

Continue over the water towards the south end of the lake, finishing the first leg of the voyage to Irkutsk at scenic Olkhon Island. Olkhon Is-land, in the middle of Lake Baikal, is long and narrow like the lake. The steep hills along its east coast plunge into the deepest part of the deepest lake in the world. The island has been a sacred place for millennia, the place where the indigenous Buryats be-lieved that the gods of Baikal lived.

Overnight at a traditional lodge style hotel in the village of Khuzhir. Meals: B, L, D – Baikal Ostrog or similar




Day Fifteen, Tuesday, June 28 Olkhon Island • Irkustk

This morning enjoy time for some light touring on Olkhon Island before departing to Irkutsk. The island is in a peculiar rain shadow, and has more sunny days than the Black Sea coast. The northern half is cov-ered in pine, fir and larch, and the southern half is hilly steppe and sand dunes. The transparent Baikal waves breaking on the sandy shores of Olkhon’s western side and the rocky crags in the east combine to make it a national treasure. The island, its flora and fauna have been protected as a part of Pribaikalsky National Park since 1986. Just off the sandy west coast near the island’s largest town, Khuzhir see Shaman Cape which has been used for many years by shamans, and later Buddhists, for ceremonies.

Ferry across the Olkhon Gates, the narrow strip of lake separating Olkhon from the Western shore of Baikal, and depart overland to Irkutsk. Lunch will be en route.

Check into the hotel on arrival in Irkutsk, and get together tonight for a festive farewell dinner.Meals: B, L, D – Empire Hotel or similar

Day Sixteen, Wednesday June 29 Depart Irkutsk

The trip concludes with transfers to the airport.Meals: B

Dates for 2016 – One Departure – Cultural SeriesThe land itinerary is scheduled to operate on the following dates. Please note you need to depart the U.S. at least one day prior to the tour start date due to airline flight schedules.

June 14-29, 2016, includes a local country Naadam Festival

Package Prices6-16 travelers, $7,995 per person, twin sharePlus internal air $600 per person (economy class, subject to change)Single supplement $1,795 per person

Tour Includes• Shared accommodations in superior tourist class hotels (UlaanBaatar, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Olkhon Island),

in gers elsewhere in Mongolia, and in homestays and/or guesthouses around Lake Baikal. • 15 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 13 dinners. A few meals are not included so that you may enjoy a chance to experiment on your own.• Restaurant tips for included meals.• Services of an experienced, English-speaking MIR Tour Manager with local guides at specific sites.• Arrival/departure transfers. MIR will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure whether we make your airfare arrangements or not, provided you arrive and depart on the tour start/end dates in the tour start/end cities.• Transportation throughout itinerary by coach, van or jeep (size of vehicle depends on group size and terrain).




• Transportation by scheduled trains along the Circumbaikal Railway and the Trans-Siberian from Irkutsk to Ulan Ude.• Boat transportation on Lake Baikal. • Guided sightseeing tours and entrance fees as outlined in itinerary.• Special events, excursions and cultural performances per the itinerary.• Baggage handling, where available.• Gratuities to local guides and drivers.• Complete pre-departure information including detailed packing list, reading list, optional insurance information.• Touring with MIR handbook with country-specific information, maps, and travel tips.• Customized visa application and instruction kit (please note, visa fees are not included in the tour price).• Final document packet including luggage tags, final updates, and more.

Not Included• Internal airfare is quoted separately and is subject to change by airlines. • International airfare or taxes – available through MIR; please call for rates.• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary.• Alcoholic beverages.• Single supplement charge, if requested or required. • Items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, etc.).• Gratuities to Tour Manager.• Visa fees.• Travel and trip cancellation insurance.

Interested in travel insurance?To learn more about all the benefits of purchasing a Travel Guard travel insurance plan, please visit www.travelguard.com/mircorp or contact Travel Guard at 1.877.709.5596.

Cultural SeriesMIR’s Cultural Series programs feature some of our most distinctive tour concepts and include uncom-mon and educational experiences, including visits to small towns and villages outside the major urban ar-eas and capital cities. All trips feature comfortable, well-located hotels.

Important Notes: Is This Trip Right For You?While the accommodations are as comfortable as possible, they will vary from superior tourist class ho-tels to very basic and simple accommodations. One night is spent in a rustic homestay at Lake Baikal (most with outhouses and shared banya-style bathing facilities); three nights are spent in ger camps in Mongolia (with shared bath facilities). Note: Banyas are the primary bathing facilities in rural Russia. They are similar to saunas, with a separate room in which heated water is available for “bucket bathing.”

It is important to keep in mind that Siberia and Mongolia are not up to the standards North American travelers expect. Services are improving in the region; nevertheless, you may encounter problems with plumbing, bureaucratic service, rough road conditions (including off-road driving in Mongolia), unpaved sidewalks, uneven surfaces and steps, availability and quality of public restrooms, and variety of locally available foods. This itinerary features a significant amount of touring on foot. Some streets are of packed dirt, and some attractions are only accessible via steep staircases with tall uneven steps. Museums


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generally do not have elevators. Vehicles, hotels, restaurants and boats are rarely air conditioned in either Siberia or Mongolia.

We are traveling in some areas which, relatively speaking, have seen few travelers, and the infrastructure is not yet fully developed. While we believe this program is designed to be the most comfortable possible for travel in this region, this is an adventurous tour. It is rated as rigorous touring due to the daily walk-ing involved (with some light hiking), the length of some bus/jeep rides over rough terrain and the overall shortcomings of the tourism infrastructure. Some daily drives may be more than six hours and have sig-nificant segments along unpaved roads, or poorly maintained and therefore very bumpy asphalt. Although porterage is provided where possible, you may have to carry your baggage for short distances. Passen-gers may encounter problems getting on and off trains; there may be low platforms, steep steps and/or gaps between the platform and the train.

Please note that for part of the Lake Baikal program you travel by boat, and should expect steep and po-tentially slick gangways, the possibility of rough water, doorways with raised thresholds, and steep stair-wells within the boat. To reap the full rewards of this adventure, travelers must be able to walk at least two miles a day including some hills and stairs, keeping up with fellow travelers, and carry their own bag-gage when necessary. Travel in Mongolia outside the capital, for touring the Gobi and Terelj National Park, involves driving over rough, dusty and unpaved roads in basic vans or off-road vehicles. These drives are very bumpy. Expect high traffic volumes in UlaanBaatar. Flexibility, a sense of humor and a willingness to accept local standards of amenities and services are essential components to the enjoyment of this trip.

Every effort has been made to make the information in this schedule accurate. However, trip itineraries are always subject to change. We will do our best to inform participants in advance of any changes, but due to the nature of travel in Russia and Mongolia, this may not always be possible. Only those willing to accept these conditions should consider joining this program.

Are You Prepared?A Travel Guard travel insurance plan can help cover your vacation investment, offset expenses from travel mishaps and provide you with emergency travel assistance. To learn more about all of the benefits of purchasing a Travel Guard travel insurance plan, please visit www.travelguard.com/mircorp

WeatherThe most enjoyable time of the year to visit the Baikal region is during the summer. While the Gobi De-sert will be quite warm, the rest of Mongolia and Siberia, where the bulk of the tour takes place, are at their best during June and July. Rain is definitely possible. You should expect daytime temperatures to range from 65-100 degrees Fahrenheit, but keep in mind that the desert can also cool down at night. Chilly temperatures around 50-60 degrees should be expected on Lake Baikal due to wind chill. You should therefore bring a water-resistant windbreaker and/or jacket.

International AirfareMIR’s in-house, full-service air department is available to assist with your air travel needs. Check with MIR before booking air on your own, as we are happy to research and compare the best fares available through multiple channels. Airfare varies depending on a wide variety of factors, such as dates of travel and seasonality, seat availability, special airline promotions, how restrictive ticket changes are, how long the fares can be held without purchase, routing considerations such as stopovers, and more. Tour dates


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are based on the land tour only. Our preferred carriers for this tour are Aeroflot and Korean Air, as they offer convenient itineraries from multiple cities across the U.S. to Mongolia and home from Siberia.

Please call us at 800-424-7289 to discuss air options and routings for this program, and to request a quote for your specific plans and dates of travel. We will be happy to put together a no-obligation sug-gested air itinerary and estimate for you at your request.

VisasA Russian visa is required for this tour. Extensive pre-tour paperwork is necessary to obtain a Russian visa. Non-U.S. passport holders may require a Mongolian visa in addition to the Russian visa. Please call for details. MIR will provide you with the necessary applications and instructions.

An estimate of current visa costs for U.S. passport holders, based on standard processing time, is $290. Your exact visa fees may differ as visa costs can depend on a number of factors, such as state of resi-dence, processing time, and return shipping. Visa fees are always subject to change.

Pre- and Post-ToursMIR can arrange for an extended trip on the legendary Trans-Siberian from Irkutsk to Vladivostok at the end of your tour, or an extended stopover in Seoul or Beijing prior to or at the tour conclusion. We can book hotels, make train reservations, and more. Consider a China pre-tour extension to Xi’an or Shang-hai, a Silk Road post-tour journey from Beijing to Kashgar, or prolong your stay in Mongolia. Call 1-800-424-7289 for more details.

Also Nearby...For more tours to this region, you may want to check out:

Flexible Essential Trips – Classic Private JourneysEssential Russia, 7 days. A compact and compelling survey of Russia’s political capital, Moscow, and its cultural capital, St. Petersburg, this tour communicates the character of Western Russia in a succinct and meaningful series of experiences.

Essential Siberia, 7 days. Explore Siberia’s UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, survey the nomadic heritage, Buddhist monasteries and overwhelming natural beauty of this amazing land. Explore Ulan Ude, the capi-tal of Buryatia, lakeside Listvyanka Village and cultured Irkutsk, influenced by transplanted Czarist and Bol-shevik exiles.

Essential Tibet, 8 days. Fly to the holy city of Lhasa high on the Tibetan Plateau. Admire the treasures of Tibetan culture on the “Roof of the World” and respond to the atmosphere of centuries of Buddhist practices.

Essential Central Asia, 13 days. Explore the markets, mosques and minarets of oasis towns on the fringes of the Kyzyl Kum and Kara Kum deserts. Here spiritual beliefs were the greatest commodities to flow along trade routes, and civilizations blossomed amidst austere natural beauty.

Also Nearby...For more tours in the Russian Far East and Mongolia, you may want to check out the following:




Siberian Winter Escapade, 8 days. When you think of Siberia, you may think of punishment and exile, of barren tundra and vast expanses of nothingness – of a place of no return. The closely-guarded truth is that Siberia is a wild and wooded place of unimaginable beauty, especially in winter. UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal freezes so hard that you can walk on water, race teams of sled dogs, and fish through the ice. Experience the rare opportunity to sweep across the frozen lake by hovercraft to sacred Olkhon Island.

Siberian Odyssey: Legends of Lake Baikal & Tuva, 13 days. Explore South Siberia, a remote and atmospheric land where mounted Scythians thundered across the steppe long ago. Meet the Buryats of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal and the Tuvan and Khakass people, whose Mongolian neighbors imbued them with Buddhism, shamanism and khoomei, or throat-singing.

Kamchatka: Reindeer Herders & the Ring of Fire, 9 days. This uncommon journey focuses on the wild Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia’s east coast, a wide volcanic promontory thrusting upward from the Pacific Ring of Fire. Spend nine days exploring this spectacular region by cross-country vehicle and heli-copter, meeting its diverse people and experience its rugged beautiful landscapes en route.

Mongolia to Moscow: A Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure, 16 days. Travel on regularly scheduled Trans-Siberian trains over a dramatic and variegated route that offers limitless opportunities to meet the diverse local people – Mongol, Buryat and Russian. Experience the rolling green hills and nomadic tradi-tions of Mongolia, Siberia’s UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal and endless taiga forest on your way to the booming capital, Moscow. The July departure features Mongolia’s Naadam Festival.

Mongolian Explorer: The Gobi Desert & Beyond with Naadam Festival, 14 days. Mongolia: the name conjures up images of vast grasslands, wind-swept steppe and endless sky. Here, an empire built on horseback galloped across the continents, leaving behind the names Genghis and Kublai Khan.

Conditions of ParticipationYour participation on a MIR Corporation trip is subject to the conditions contained in the 2016 Tour Reservation Form and Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement. Please read this document carefully and contact us with any questions.

Cancellation and Refund Policy Payment Terms: Non-refundable deposits are accepted by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Final land payments may be made by check or credit card for reservations made directly with MIR. If booking through a travel agent, please contact your agent to find out what form of payment they accept. (MIR can accept final payment from travel agents by agency check only.) Air fares are subject to change until ticketed; payment policies vary by carrier.

If you cancel your trip, please notify MIR in writing. Upon MIR’s receipt of notice the following charges apply to land tours (policies for air tickets, custom group trips vary).

Scheduled MIR Small Group ToursCost of cancellation, if received: 61 or more days prior to departure, deposit due or paid in full of $500; 31-60 days prior to departure, 50% of land tour cost; 30 days prior to or after trip departure, no refund.




ReferencesWe encourage you to speak directly with satisfied past travelers. Please request a list of references.

Why MIR?Regional knowledge is crucial to the success of any trip to our corner of the world. MIR combines de-tailed information about geography and infrastructure, history and art, language and culture, with the depth of knowledge that comes only from decades of regional experience. You may wonder how we dif-fer from other tour operators…

Destination SpecializationMIR focuses exclusively on the exceptional region at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. This area has been our overriding passion since 1986; we don’t do the rest of the world. Our hard-earned expertise gained over the last three decades can take you from end to end of the largest country in the world – Russia – and to all of its neighbors. We specialize in travel to Siberia, the Silk Route, St. Petersburg & Be-yond. Our destinations include: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Baltics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), the Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Central Asia (the five ‘Stans), Iran, the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), Mongolia, China, Tibet, DPRK and Central/East Europe (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania).

Celebrating our 30th Season in 2016A travel company doesn’t last 30 years in the business without a solid track record. MIR has helped thousands of individuals achieve their travel goals. Our dedication and experience have earned us their trust and the trust of many well-respected institutions. Today MIR is the preferred tour operator for mu-seum, alumni and special interest organizations across the country.

Recommended & RespectedMIR has twice been rated one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure. Several of our tours have won awards in top travel publications, such as Outside magazine and




National Geographic Traveler. Our trips have been featured in books like Riding the Hula Hula to the Arctic Ocean and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

More Questions?Please feel free to call us with questions at 1-800-424-7289, 8:30am-5:30pm Pacific Time. MIR Corporation85 South Washington Street, Suite 210Seattle, WA 98104800-424-7289, 206-624-7289Fax 206-624-7360 [email protected] of Travel: Washington#601-099-932, California# 2082306-40© Photos: MIR Corporation, Andrew Barron, Michel Behar, Martin Klimenta, Helge Pedersen, Michele Rice, Meaghan Samuels, Ana Filinov, Douglas Grimes, Alla Shishkina, Devin Connolly




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Documents

SMSN2016 · sheep and goitered gazelle. This part of the Gobi is also home to golden eagles, saker falcons, jerboas (similar to kangaroo rats), and many endemic reptiles, and the